An Introduction: Russell Lands, Inc. Development History

An Introduction: Russell Lands, Inc. Development History For nearly 100 years, the Russell family has been stewards of some of the most prized acreage along the shores of beautiful Lake Martin, Alabama’s largest man-made lake. The family first purchased land in south central Alabama in 1846 and continued to grow its holdings for the next 80 years while bequeathing acres for parks, schools, hospitals and other public-use along the way. Russell Lands, Inc. began developing the area known today as Russell Lands On Lake Martin in the 1960s with the creation of the 167-acre Willow Point Golf and Country club. The exclusive Willow Point neighborhood followed in the early 1970s, which would be the first of many primary and second-home lakefront neighborhoods planned and developed by Russell Lands. Long-time lovers of the land, the Russell family built a development company that is dedicated to working in concert with the natural surroundings. Long before sustainable development practices were the norm, Russell Lands was creating neighborhoods that minimally impacted the land, included large wooded lots, and featured acres of green space. For more than three decades the company has been quietly, meticulously building a lake-oriented retreat that offers residents the natural beauty and simple lifestyle of lakeside living – with an eye toward preserving the land and protecting property values. Read on to learn more about the history of the Russell family and how the company built Russell Lands On Lake Martin. Russell Lands, Inc. History Written by Ben Russell Russell Family Roots Benjamin Russell was the origin of all things Russell, in Alabama today. Born on a small farm in rural Tallapoosa County, Alabama, exactly 100 years after 1776, Ben Russell's genealogy traces back to Richard Russell of Westchester County, England, in the 14th century. Beginning in 1603 the lineage traces on through the church records of London and finally, around 1750, James Russell crossed the Atlantic Ocean to Charleston, South Carolina. His son, John Russell, fought in the War of Independence. The family slowly migrated through Georgia and into Alabama. In approximately 1845, John's son, Jesse Russell, moved from Chambers County to Tallapoosa County in East Central Alabama. In April 1846, he purchased 318 acres of property, including a tract of land purchased from the Creek Indians, by way of the U.S. Treaty of 1832. This property was in the North Half of Section Eighteen, Township Twenty-One, Range Twenty-One, and it encompassed the confluence of the Oakachoy (also Oakchoy) and Big Kowaliga Creeks. He built a house on this site in 1846 and started farming in this area, which was about a mile west of Bulgers Mill. This area is covered Hollow - all, being one half mile south of Ourtown, Russell homeplace in downtown Alabama. Some of the Russell's are buried in the nearby cemetery at Alexander City. the old Liberty Church. In 1865, Jesse's son, Benjamin Francis Commander (B.F.C.) Russell, returned home to the family farm a decorated Civil War veteran having fought under General James Longstreet. Sadly, B.F.C.'s two brothers, John James and Jesse Simeon never returned. B.F.C. married Sarah Elisabeth "Bettie" Henderson in December 1867 and began farming with his father. He and Bettie had three children: Sally, born in 1870, Thomas Commander in 1874 and Benjamin in 1876. In the early 1880s, B.F.C. moved his family to Alexander City, Alabama, formerly Youngsville, to become a merchant with his nephew, W. Luther Waters. B.F.C. and Bettie's son, Benjamin, was "a dedicated and hard working young man" and eventually worked his way through the University of Virginia, graduating in the spring of 1899 with a law degree. Following his marriage in November 1899 to Roberta Bacon McDonald, Benjamin Russell practiced law in Birmingham for a few months. When his father, B.F.C., suffered a paralyzing stroke in early 1900, Benjamin returned to Alexander City to manage the family business. In the same year, he Mrs. Benjamin Russell founded the Citizens Bank of Alexander City, which in 1904 became the 'Miss Rob' First National Bank, predecessor to the present Aliant Bank System. Ben Russell - The Philanthropist On Friday, June 13, 1902, the entire business district of Alexander City burned, but Ben Russell did not confine his efforts to rebuilding his bank. The pioneering spirit of his lineage allowed him to quickly shake off the effects of "the great fire" and take a bold, new leap. By April that same year, he had founded Russell Manufacturing Company in a 50 x 100-foot wooden building with six knitting machines and ten sewing machines. The new company purchased yarn for the knitting machines, which made the cloth for the cut and sew operation. The company's first garment was a ladies and children's knitted shirt, produced at the rate of 150 a day. Young Ben Russell was quite adept at most practical applications of his ingenuity, but in those early days, success in such a fledgling business was difficult. It soon became apparent that each garment cost several cents more Benjamin Russell about than it could be sold for. He met with his employees and confidentially 1940 discussed the matter of quantity and quality of production. Following a grim "we succeed or we fail together" declaration, they came away with an even stronger resolve. Hard work and innovation were Ben Russell's greatest assets - these as well as a thousand other problems were ultimately solved. In 1908, the ladies and children's shirts went out of style and Russell changed its product line to ladies' step-ins or teddies. Thus the first change in what would become a constant flow of designs and garments to meet customer demands - from underwear to dress, casual, active, and athletic wear. In the spring of 1902, "Mr. Ben," as he was called by all, built a telephone line from Dadeville through Alexander City and on to Sylacauga establishing the first telephone service in Alexander City. The first exchange placed twenty telephones in service through a switchboard located in the basement of the First National Bank. This business was sold to Southern Bell Telephone and Telegraph on February 24, 1904 for $15,250. In 1911, the banker and cotton miller needed electrical power for his little mill and he began construction of a dam at Buzzards' Roost Thomas Martin speaking at Shoals on the Tallapoosa River about five miles northeast of Corner Stone laying, Cherokee downtown Alexander City. Alabama Power had, however, begun Bluffs - Nov. 7, 1925 preparation for the massive Martin Dam project farther downstream. This impoundment would flood Mr. Ben's site. According to Thomas W. Martin, Chairman of the Board of Alabama Power Company, Mr. Russell was the "moving spirit" behind his new Industries Light Power Company. After much negotiation Mr. Russell sold this power project to the Interstate Power Company, which became Alabama Power Company in 1920. In the words of Martin, "the broadminded Russell recognized the greater public benefit from the complete development of the power of the stream; thereupon a satisfactory agreement was reached with Russell for purchase of his Industries Light and Power Company and for supplying his enterprises with power through a very favorable power franchise." Most importantly, however, Mr. Ben promoted a personal friendship and an agreement with Martin that would lead to the purchase of a significant portion of the 750 miles of shoreline property of the new lake. Ben, like his forefathers, remained "close to the land" and he continued to develop the family farm - the pioneering spirit seems to have continued to evolve. He ultimately combined some of the land acquired from the Alabama Power Company with the family farm - in the 1930s this comprised 30,000 acres of farm and timberland on the shores of Lake Martin. Following the founding of Russell Mills in 1902, Mr. Ben was quick to build a church for the people that were moving into the new Russell mill village. The church was a typical white structure with wood columns, offering Methodist and Baptist services on alternating Sundays - the two preachers and one congregation system seemed to work just fine, over the years. Mr. Ben realized the need to provide education for his employees and their families and in the fall of 1917 he brought into the organization Professor R.Y. Scott to establish the Russell Mills School and hold classes in the Russell Mills church building. By 1924, the school had outgrown the church facility and a new school building was built. In 1927, the Russell School became a part of the Alexander City School System offering grades kindergarten through ninth. The mill village grew to 230 or so houses but beginning in the late 1950s residents were encouraged to purchase property that had been made available and build their own home. By mid 1960, the "old mill village" had been replaced by the ever expanding "cotton mill." In addition to all the mill and bank related interests, Mr. Ben began buying or creating other businesses. In approximately 1916, he opened the Alex City Wholesale Grocery business in the area of the present day fire department and the old Outlook location. In 1918, he purchased the Alexander City Manufacturing Company, a "millwork" or woodworking industry. Mr. Ben became owner and operator and Mr. I.C. Kelley was appointed manager. This grew into a very successful operation and by 1941 consisted of two plants with twelve buildings and over one hundred employees. In 1920, Mr. Ben purchased the Nolen Hotel, formerly the Alabama Hotel, from Leon Nolen and changed the name to the Russco Hotel.

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